As devices become increasingly mobile and interoperable, networks may be more than the customary established grouping of devices. Instead, or in some cases in addition, devices join and leave networks on an ad-hoc basis. Such devices may join an existing network, or may form a temporary network for a limited duration or for a limited purpose. An example of such networks might be a personal area network (PAN). A PAN is a network used for communication among computer devices (including mobile devices such as laptops, mobile telephones, game consoles, digital cameras, and personal digital assistants) which are proximately close to one person. Any of the devices may or may not belong to the person in question. The reach of a PAN is typically a few tens of meters. PANs can be used for communication among the personal devices themselves (ad-hoc communication), or for connecting to a higher level network and/or the Internet (infrastructure communication). Personal area networks may be wired, e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) and/or IEEE 1394 interface or wireless. The latter communicates via networking technologies consistent with the protocol standards propounded by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA), the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth), the WiMedia Alliance's ultra wideband (UWB), or the like.
Among recently emerging communication technologies—especially those needing high data transfer rates—various ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies are gaining support and acceptance. UWB technologies are utilized for wireless transmission of video, audio or other high bandwidth data between various devices. Generally, UWB is utilized for short-range radio communications—typically data relay between devices within approximately 10 meters—although longer-range applications may be developed. A conventional UWB transmitter generally operates over a very wide spectrum of frequencies, several GHz in bandwidth. UWB may be defined as radio technology that has either: 1) spectrum that occupies bandwidth greater than 20% of its center frequency; or, as is it is more commonly understood, 2) a bandwidth≧500 MHz.
Next generation networks, such as those standardized by the WiMedia Alliance, Inc., increase the range, speed, and reliability of wireless data networks. One implementation of next generation networks utilizes ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology, specifically a MultiBand orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) physical layer (PHY) radio along with a sophisticated medium access control (MAC) layer that can deliver data rates up to 480 megabits per second (Mbps).
The WiMedia UWB common radio platform enables high-speed (up to 480 Mbps), low power consumption data transfers in a wireless personal area network (WPAN). The WiMedia UWB common radio platform incorporates MAC layer and PHY layer specifications based on MultiBand OFDM (MB-OFDM). WiMedia UWB is optimized for the personal computer (PC), consumer electronics (CE), mobile device and automotive market segments. ECMA-368 and ECMA-369 are international ISO-based specifications for the WiMedia UWB common radio platform. Additional information may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/099,317, entitled “Versatile System for Dual Carrier Transformation in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing”, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/551,980, entitled “Dual-Carrier Modulation Decoder”, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Increasing demand for more powerful and convenient data and information communication has resulted in a number of advancements, particularly in wireless communication technologies. Despite the advancements, however, significant improvement in data transfer rates is sought.